​Hosted by the Foundation for International Education (FIE), a superior London-based nonprofit internship provider, the biennial conference aimed to encourage students from all over the world to positively influence their communities. With its theme being 'Harnessing the Power of Diversity', the conference breached the boundaries of cursory cross-cultural learning, said Rebecca Claris, director of FIE Experiential Education.

"Diversity extends far beyond just our visible differences or the ‘flags, food and festivals’ of our nations," said Claris. "Diversity yields superior outcomes. Research shows groups that include a range of perspectives and experiences outperform groups of like-minded experts. FIE’s third Student Global Leadership Conference empowered emerging leaders to engage in inclusive leadership, value diverse contributions, challenge bias and build stronger local and global teams, businesses and communities as a result." ​​​

FIE has been a member of the SAF International University Network for five years. SAF has participated in the conference since it launched in 2013.

2017 Participants

"Since I started learning in this new environment, often the leadership I have seen in ordinary conversations has intrigued me in depth...All in all, for me, leadership is not an ability to lead others towards a successful future. It is rather an ability to help others to make [positive] choices, which can be shown by offering qualitatively good information."

​ "I would like to lead children around the world in communication which establishes mutual understanding among them to make use of my experience at the Student Global Leadership Conference, and then exert myself to [create] and maintain the Cultural Olympiad Kid’s Program as an annual Olympiad event."

"After studying abroad, I will have a new definition of leadership or maybe even an expansive understanding of it, because the exchange of ideas will probably open up my mind, and different political and educational systems will inspire me."

"Now, I have some brand new views, which seemingly have nothing to do nothing with leadership, but actually greatly contribute to the shaping of a good leader, as they’re the foundation or essential qualities to being a better person, [such as] first, confront and acknowledge shortfalls." ​Jinwen Li Host: University of Glasgow Home: Xiamen University Major: Journalism

​"It is my passion and interest to get involved in creative media industry, and produce public media programs like TV shows, films and podcasts. In my opinion, media production should be based on understanding of both people and communities, to help build a better society. I strongly believe that my experience at the FIE Student Global Leadership Conference will help me to develop my own specialties as well as the social interaction skills, which are essential to reach this goal."

Sobin Lee Host: University of Edinburgh Home: Hankuk University of Foreign Studies Major: English Interpretation and Translation

2015 Participants

“I now know that a leader is not a movie star, but the person right next to me, devoted to responsibility, believing in collective good and striving for that." ​Ji Woo Kim Home: Hongik University Host: University College London Major: Art Studies

“I found a new way of supporting developing countries not only by giving aid and education, but also by investing money and supporting them sustainably until they become independent… To sum up, in the future, I want to contribute to society by meeting the demand of people and companies.” ​Rina Tanaka Home: Keio University Host: University of Edinburgh Major: Political Science

“I learned that true leadership needs to begin with a strong sense of self. Leaders should be able to lead themselves first before they can expect to effectively lead others. In that, the challenges of leadership are huge!" ​Siwen Tian Home: Capital Normal University Host: University of Glasgow Major: English

“Taking risks, choosing growth, challenging ourselves, and asking for promotions, with smiles on our faces, of course, are all important elements of managing a career. Do not wait for power to be offered."​​​Xiang Li Home: Fuzhou University Host: University of Edinburgh Major: Engineering

“As I am currently majoring in Mathematics, I would like to work alongside and offer as well as share my expertise and knowledge with engineers in the oil and gas sectors, whether it is to produce more efficient methods of retrieving, manufacturing or refining crude oils.”

“If I, as a small but powerful and influential individual, am equipped with the qualifications of leadership, and have an ability to exercise leadership properly, I could positively effect society in terms of solving seemingly complex worldwide problems.”

Yerim Moon​Home: Hongik University Host: University of Edinburgh Major: English Education

“Having a chance to study abroad opened up my eyes to how other leaders manage their teams and achieve new heights…I realized that the higher the level of trust given to the people completing the work, the better they are going to perform it."​Hui Xuan (Chole)Teoh Home: Tzu Chi University Host: University of Bristol Major: English ​

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“After my graduation, I have a plan to get a position in the management of cultural industry and start my career. My further goal will be to help make more perfect movies and TV shows that could represent China, even Asia, to let more foreigners get to know Eastern culture better and make it popular." ​Zhilin Liu Home: China University of Mining & Technology Host: University of Edinburgh Major: Finance